Timing Workflow

Purpose

Run a stable timing operation from pre-race setup through final results publication using a consistent sequence and recovery checkpoints.

Open the meet and confirm athlete and entry counts match field registration.
On the Reads page, clear any stale test reads from calibration sessions.
Review each marker’s read window — confirm the earliest and latest valid read times are appropriate for your expected finish spread.
If using FinishLynx, confirm the PPL and SCH files have been exported to the FinishLynx exchange folder and that FinishLynx has loaded them.
Verify chip-to-bib mapping is complete for all expected starters.

Open 2Timer and navigate to your meet dashboard.
Go to Connectors and activate each connector you need. The status indicator turns green when the connector is watching or connected.
Place a test chip at the finish line and trigger a manual read. Confirm it appears on the Reads page with status Used and that the correct entry updates.
For FinishLynx: confirm LIF files are landing in the watched folder from a test scoreboard image.
Check that your backup timing plan (manual stopwatch, backup chip system) is staffed and ready.

At gun: the start marker records the event start time. Confirm the read appears immediately on the Reads page.
Monitor the Reads page for incoming reads. Normal read volume should match your expected finisher flow.
Watch for error-status reads:
- No Bib — chip not mapped to a bib; resolve in Chips or manually assign.
- No Marker — read came in without a matching marker; check connector location assignment.
- Early Read or Late Read — read was outside the marker’s time window; adjust the window if legitimate, or ignore.
- No Chip — bib detected but no chip mapping; enter a manual finish time.
For photo finish (FinishLynx): confirm LIF files are picked up automatically. Results update within the connector’s poll interval (typically 5 seconds).
For Trident: confirm you are using the intended record type for that line.
- BS is often the best finish candidate
- LS may be preferable for some start-line workflows

Missing finisher: verify the athlete’s chip registered. If no read exists, enter a manual finish time via the entry editor and enable Override to protect it from automated overwriting.
Duplicate reads: the system deduplicates by chip and time window. If a legitimate duplicate appears (e.g. a chip read twice at the mat), check both reads on the Reads page and mark the extra one Manual Ignore.
Clock drift: if your timing system clock is offset from 2Timer’s reference, note the delta and apply a time correction post-race before exporting.
DQ / DNS / DNF: update the entry status directly on the Results or Entries page. These status codes flow through to all export formats.

Review the Results page for each event. Confirm top finishers match manual notes or video evidence.
Resolve any remaining Pending reads on the Reads page.
Check group (age group) placements if the meet uses award groups.
Generate and review final reports (see Results and Reports).
Export a .2t meet archive as backup before closing (Export Meet from meet settings).
If publishing to a scoring website or FTP location, trigger the outbound connector or export manually.

Failure	Response
Reader connectivity drops	Keep a manual log of bib numbers. Reconcile via manual entry after reconnect.
Chip is unreadable	Assign a manual finish time in the entry editor; mark as Override.
FinishLynx drops connection	LIF files buffer locally; they will be processed when the folder is next polled.
Clock drift identified post-race	Apply a global time offset in the connector or adjust individual entries.
Meet file corruption	Restore from the most recent `.2t` backup archive.